Transliteration report

AS
122
RSltr

ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY
OF GREAT BRITAIN AND
IRELAND

TRANSLITERATION REPORT

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES

=-—

^

ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.

TRANSLITERATION
REPORT.

Repr iiited from the "Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,"

October, 1896.

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY,
22, ALBEMARLE STREET, LONDON, \V.

1896.

Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2013

http://archive.org/details/transliterationrOOroya

ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.

TRANSLITERATION
REPORT.

Reprinted from the " Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,"

October, 1896.

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY,
22, ALBEMARLE STREET, LONDON, W.

18(JG.

HERTFORD:

PKINTHD BY STEPHEN AUSTIN AND SONS.

L/l

TRANSLITERATION.

The subject of a uniform system of transliteration of
Oriental characters has for a long time occupied the
attention of the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society.
In May, 1890, a Committee was formed, on the motion
of Professor Sir M. Monier- Williams, K.C.I.E., to prepare
a scheme, in conjunction with other learned societies, to be
brought before the International Congress of Orientalists.

After long deliberation and careful consideration of the
scheme propounded by Professor the Right Hon. F. Max
Miiller, and accepted by the Oxford University Press, of the
i scheme adopted by the Government of India, on the recom-

mendation of Sir W. W. Hunter, K.C.S.L, of the papers
contributed by Sir M. Monier- Williams, K.C.I.E., to this
Society's Journal in 1890, and to the proceedings of the
Berlin Congress, and of the schemes adopted by the
Societe Asiatique, the Deutsche Morgenliindische Gresell-
schaft, the Bengal Asiatic Society, and the Piili Text
Society, this Committee presented their Report to the
Council held on the 8th of May, 1894. That report was
adopted by the Council, and published in the Society's
Journal for July, 1894.

In the autumn of that year the Tenth Oriental Congress
was held at Geneva ; and, on the motion of Lord Reay
on behalf of the Society, a representative Commission was
appointed to consider the subject. The Report of this
Commission was presented to the Congress before it
separated, and was adopted by the Congress. The scheme
prepared by the Commission (containing two systems — one
for Sanskrit and the other for Arabic) was ordered to be
incorporated in the Proceedings of the Congress, and was
recommended for adoption by all Orientalists. A transla-
tion of this scheme was published, with the Report, in the
Society's Journal for October, 1895.

3022877

( 4 )

This Report states that — " The Commission took as a
basis for its work the Report of the Royal Asiatic
Society's Special Committee, and the systems of trans-
literation usually adopted in France, in Germany, and
by the Bengal Asiatic Society. The Commission does not
pretend to have discovered a perfectly scientific system."

The Council is of opinion that it is advisable to take
this opportunity of recommending the system thus placed
before the world. Much care and pains have been taken
over the subject, and there does not seem any probability
of further steps being taken, at all events for some years
to come. It has come to the decision, therefore, to
recommend those Oriental scholars over whom it has
influence to endeavour to adopt the system proposed by
the Oriental Congress at Geneva. It observes, however,
that there are some slight diversities between the scheme
for Sanskrit and that for Arabic, and a few emendations
have been suggested to bring them more fully into harmony.
The Council, therefore, now republishes, together with its
own resolution on the subject, the two systems suggested
by the Geneva Congress ; and adds a few suggestions
(chiefly by way of harmonizing them), together with
specimens of transliteration in various languages, so that
all Oriental scholars may clearly understand what is
recommended.

The following is the resolution that has consequently
been passed : — " Resolved that the Council of the Royal
Asiatic Society, having given the most careful consideration
to the Report on Transliteration prepared by the repre-
sentative Commission appointed by the Oriental Congress
at Geneva, while not entirely agreeing in all the details,
gives the entire scheme its general approval ; and earnestly
recommends all connected with this country who are en-
gaged in Oriental studies to set aside their own individual
feelings and predilections, and, as far as possible, to employ
this method of transliteration, in order that the very great
benefit of a uniform S3Tstem may be gradually adopted,
and Oriental studies may thereby be facilitated."

( 5 )

TABLE I.

TRANSLITERATION OF THE SANSKRIT AND

ALLIED ALPHABETS ADOPTED BY THE

GENEVA CONGRESS.

^r «

^T a

X •

t i

^ u

^f u

^ r

^ f

^ £

% I

H e

X[ at

^ft o

^sft ««*

^ *

T§ M

*T <7

^r gh

^ w

^ c

j% ch

^ y

w Jh

of /?

z i

S ....... M

^ 4

^ dh

nr »

rf t

Vf th

^ d

^1 dh

«f »

*r p

*fi ph

^ b

*T bh

f{ m

^ y

X r

*T I

( 6 )

^

*T

*T

*r

I

3o (in Pali 1-) ...

— (Anusvdra, Niggahita) m
(A)iunasika) . . w*

/

«/

: (Visarga) . .
X (Jihvdmiiliya)
X ( Upadhmdnlya)
vS (Avagraha)
Uddtta ....

Svarita

h

h
h

Anuddtta

( 7 )

TABLE II.

TRANSLITERATION OF THE ARABIC ALPHABET
ADOPTED BY THE GENEVA CONGRESS.

[Notes in square brackets refer to pp. 6, 7.]

i at beginning of

word

i g permissible gh

omit ; hamza elsewhere

2- [' or °, Note 8]

*-*/

c_> 6

d 9.

cu> t

lJ k

l£j t permissible th

J I

'(T j permissible dj

£ h permissible kh

j w? [or t?, Note 5]

6 d

■fc A

^ d permissible dh

hf y

J r

vowels — a, — i, — u

J z

lengthened V a, ±J^ if / u

(J^> s

diphthongs &' ay and y aw

i^i s permissible sh

[ai and au, Note 4]

jjfi s [see Note 1]

e and o may be used in place

Jo d [d, Note 2]

of I and u

k t or t [only t, Note

3]

also e and 6 in Indian dialects,

^ z or z

• • •

u and o in Turkish

L^

J of article J! to be always /.

( 8 )

ADDITIONAL IN PERSIAN, HINDI,
AND PAKSHTU.

r P

<—. c permissible ch

J z permissible zh

TURKISH LETTERS.

<lS when pronounced as y,
k is permitted.

LS n

HINDI AND PAKSHTU.

•*

or^ t

or £ d

or j r

PAKSHTU LETTERS.

J

y

U*

ts

9

n

ksh

Also in India will be recognized s for <Jlj, z for J, and z for ua.

The above scheme contains, it will be seen, two schemes —
one for the transliteration of Sanskrit, Pali, and the allied
alphabets, and one for the transliteration of Arabic and
the allied alphabets. These two tables are inconsistent with
one another on several points. In applying the Congress
scheme, therefore, to the transliteration of Hindi (which
is written both with Sanskrit and Arabic letters) the same
word would have to be transliterated differently according
to the alphabet before the transliterator. These points
are as follows : —

(1) The sound represented in English by sh is represented
in the first table by s, and in the second by s (sh being
permissible). On the other hand, the s is used in the
first table for the Sanskrit *J (sh) and in the second for
,jfi (z). The practical difficulties arising from this dis-
crepancy are, however, so small that the Council would
merely point out the discrepancy.

(2) The sign d is used in the Sanskrit table for ^ (the
cerebral d), and in the Arabic table for ^o (dad). This
discrepancy could be avoided by selecting d for the dad.

( 9 )

(3) The alternative transliteration t allowed for )o in the
second table clashes with the use of the same sign in
the first table. This alternative transliteration might be
dropped out of Table II.

(4) The diphthongs ai and au in the first table are
replaced by ay and mv in the second. It would be better
to adhere to the first table.

(5) The transliteration iv for the j in the Arabic table
clashes with that proposed for the ^ in the Sanskrit table.
Both v and w might be allowed for each of these letters.

(6) The sound represented by ch in the English ortho-
graphy is transliterated c in the Sanskrit table, and c (ch
being permissible) in the second table. It would be more
consistent to adopt c throughout.

There are also one or two other matters which are worthy
of notice.

(7) The signs z and z, and d and t are each of them
used in Table II as the transliteration of two different
letters.

(8) No sign has been suggested in the Arabic table for
the transliteration of the wasla. The comma above the
line ' used in the table to represent the hamsa might be
used for the wasla, and either a stroke or a circle above
the line (' or °) might be used for the hamsa.

(9) No sign has been suggested in the Arabic table for the
silent t. The sign h might be used to represent this letter.

(10) A stroke beneath the line (thus k or m) might be
suggested to signify that a letter written in any alphabet
to be transliterated is not to be pronounced.

( io )

Subject to the suggestions above made, which will, the
Council hopes, meet with the approval of Continental
scholars, the following passages would illustrate the scheme
as adopted by the Congress.

SANSKRIT.

Rg Yeda : opening lines —

_ Cv _ _ _ Os _

* |^t TJf *NfcT II

Agnim lie purohitam yajnasya devam rtvijam

hotaram ratnadhatamam.
agnih piirvebhir fshibir idyo nutanair uta

sa, devam eha vaksati.

Nalopakhyana : opening lines —

Wl^- Ximi Wt IT* ^T^^<ft ^^ I
Tgxjxj^f ^[%tTt ^RT^ ^I^^tf^^: II
^faB^ i73%^THFt *flt ^^TCfcTT ^^T I

^xrgqfr; *f^T*T. "mfzm j^ ^m ii

Asid raj a Nalo nama Yirasenasuto ball
upapanno gunair istair rupavan asvakovidah
atisthan manujendranam murdhni devapatir yatha
uparyupari sarvesam aditya iva tejasa.

( 11 )

PALI.
Digha : opening words —

Evam me sutam. Ekam samayam bhagava antara ca
Rajagaham antara ca Nalandarii addhanamaggapatipanno
hoti mahata bhikkhusamghena saddhim pafica mattehi
bhikkhusatehi.

ARABIC.
Opening chapter of the Quran —

tfjjri t'.**£iJ cS^\ ; sisJ ilASi ..jiff *s d^u *— lif

>j >• fv- (j-»^ y- (*^ y-

Ch. ix, v. 1.

Ch. x, v. 14.

Bismi'llahi'l-rahmani'l-raliTmi. Al-hamdn lillahi rabbi-

• • •

'l-'alamma'l-rahmani'l-rahlmi maliki yaumi '1-dmi. Iyaka

na'budu wa Iyaka nasta'Imi. Ikdina 'l-sirata'l-mustaqima

sirata'lladlna an'amta 'alaihim gairi 'l-magdubi 'alaihim

wa la 'l-dalllna.

Ch. ix, v. 1. — Bara'atim mina'llahi wa rasulihi ila

'lladlna 'ahadtum mina 'l-musriklna.
< <

Ch. x, v. 14. — Wa ja'athum rusuluhum bi'1-baiyinati wa
ma kanu liyu'minii.

( 12 )

Notes —

Hamza at the beginning of a word is omitted, as pre-
scribed on p. 5. Only the voicel is written. Ex. asad,
a lion ; plur. vsd. Insdn, a human being.

Hamza elsewhere = a stroke ' or circle °.

Wasla is represented by an apostrophe. See Note 8, p. 7.

The diphthongs have been written ai and an, not ay and
aw. See Note 4, p. 7.

PERSIAN.
Opening words of the Gulistan —

SjLl j l^-*M*1Jj2 <-~~2^y ^j£.-^..clb &S; (J.^- % Lc l.JMA.^ L^>1^

Minnat hudaira 'azza wa jalla kih tii'atas miijib-i-
qurbatast. Wa bisukr andaras mazid-i-ni'mat. Har nafasi
kih faru mlravad mumidd-i-hiyatast. Wa cun bar niayad
mufarriq-i-zat. Pas dar har nafasi du ni'mat maujudast.
Wa bar har ni'mati sukri wajib.

( 13 )

The Council would take this opportunity of suggesting
the following scheme for the transliteration of Hebrew.

5

3
a

n

n
i

T

n

to

5
h

3

D

y

3

6

<

6

• • 9

<

. . h

h (or M)

. . v

z

t

y
k

<

k

I

m
n
s

J

P

D

h
n

r

s

<

s

t

<

t

(or-:-)

i
6
u
a

u

a

o

= o

1

Dagges forte = double letter

( 14 )

HEBREW.
Genesis I, 1-5.

pani : pan n«i dwh na dviSn ina rv&ftna

| ••• t t : I v t t •• : • - t - •• v: t t • ■■ j

nBrna d^Sk roil Qinn 'ae-Sj; ^rrj vh) «ih nivri
rM iisn rn D^riSx Sinn mto-^ mxn-n« dtiSk

I •• t I •• ■ v: ...-.- • T v • v:

B°re'slt bara' 'elohlm 'et bassamayim v°'et ba'ares.

<< o < < < ^ < •

Y°ha'ares hay°tah tohii vabohu v°hosek 'al p°nei t°li6m.
v°ruah 'elohlm m°rahefet 'al p°nei bammayim. Vayyo'mer
'elobim y°hi 'or vay°bl 'or. Vayyar' 'elohim 'et ba'or ki
tob vayyabdel 'elohim bcin bii'or ubein hahosek Yayyiqra'
'elobim la'dr yom v°labosek qiira' lay°lab. vay°bi 'ereb
vay°bl boqer yom 'ebad.

STEPHEN AUSTIN AND SONS, PRINTERS, HERTFORD.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY

Los Angeles
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below.

^ •>:

!#M

\/ r\f~ fl»l ir llnrsjim/ !#-»/-» * • t /-> »~ 1 f f*

No.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII,

IX.

X.

XI.
XII.

XIII.

XIV.
XV.

XVI.

XVII.

TABLE XI.

Termini of the Route.

Euphrates to Sera by way of Samarkand,
Kashgar, and Aksu (Marco Polo's route).

Southern route from the Euphrates to Sera by
way of the Stone Tower (mentioned by
Ptolemy himself).

Khoten to Tibet and India

Cherchen to Alado

Pangkung Lake to Alado

Thokjalung to Alado

Thokjalung to Delhi, viA the Daba Pass

Kathmandu to Patna

China to Tibet

Sz'chuen to Burma (and Bengal)

Nanking to Yunnan

Yunnan to Gulf of Martaban ..

Laos to Tonkin ...

Across the Malay Peninsula (Krah Isthmus^ ...
Sea-route from 'the Persian Gulf to India and
China.

Sea-route from the south of India or Ceylon
to the Sunda Archipelago (Palembaug in
Sumatra).

Names of Ptolemy's Stations along the Route.

Hang-chou to Nanking

Marakanda — Auxakia — Issedon Skythike — Damna — Piala — Issedon Serike — Paliana — Tnogara — Daxata1 — Sera
Metropolis.

Marakanda — Lithinos Pyrgos — Issedon Serike, after which it followed the preceding route

Lithinos Pyrgos— Konta — Batang Kaissara— Astrassos— Arispara— Batanagra— Labokla

Vid Khaurana— Eldana

Tiu Sapolos and Soita

Stoma — Heorta — Rhappha— Kanogiza— Kassida — Selampura — Eldana

Stoma— Passala — Margara— Orza — Sannaba — Persakra — Sambalaka (I)

1. Via Kanogiza— Boraita. 1. Vit Sambalaka (II)

ViA TJrathenai — Arkhinara — Orosana — Asanabara — Sadoga — Eldana

ViA Urathenai—Salatha— Pandasa— Posinara— Adeisaga — Arisabion— Mareura- Sahara

ViA Kokkonagara— Rhadamarkotta— Kimara— Pandasa

Via Posinara— Rhingiberi

) 1. Lariagara— Besynga i

Lasyppa-
-Kortatha Metropolis

( 1. Via Doana— Bareukora
( 2. Vid Sinda

Takola — Balongka ...

Touching Maisolos— Apheterion— Palura or Pakura ; thence across to Sada ; then by way of
(Takola)— Zaba— Kattigara.

Temala, Golden Kl

Sighting en route Argyre, the Barusai, Sindai, Sabadeibai, and ending the journey at Iabadiu. Perhaps the ships f.ontiuuecl
sometimes to China, viu the Satyron Islands.

Road leading from the metropolis of the Smaito the haven of Kattigara, running in a south-west direction. (Ptol., lib. I, c 17, § 5

Modern Names of the Stations along the Route.

Samarkand — (Kashgar)— Harashar — Pidshan — Hami — Pa-liu Hai Lake — Edzina (Marco Polo's) or I-tsi-nay — Lang-ekou-
hsiang — Hsi-an Fu — Lo-yang, capital of China.

Samarkand — Khoten — (Lake Lob) — Edzina ; and thence along the preceding.

Feng

Rangoon on Gulf of Martaban.
[Song-ka route.]

Khoten — (Kirrea) — Haute — Simla — Gurdiispur ? — Hoshiarpur (or Amritsar) f — Batala ? — Lahore.

Chara-nor Lake — Alado.

?— Chikut-cho Lake.

Thok-jalung — Tiruta — Ravau-rhad Lake — Sarka ? — Shakia — La-tsang (Teshilumbo) — Alado.

Thok-jalung — ? — Garthok — Daba — Srinagar — Sukertal (or Bijnaur)? — Sambhal (or Sampla?), near Delhi.

1. Viu Kathmandu — Bettiah. 2. ViA W. Champuran District (Salempur?).

Wu-chou — Ho-k'ou (Ta-tsien-lu)— Selini — Shabando — Sindong — Alado.

Wu-chou — Hsii-chou — lin-an Fu (or Yunnan Lake) — Hung-ngai (or Tali Lake) — Yung-ch'ang — Sheubo — Prome— Twante (Gulf

of Martaban). This route wras followed as early as a.i>. 97 by the embassy of the King of Shen to China.
Kiu-kiaug — Kwei-yang (or Shih-ch'ien) — Hsin-yi — Lin-an Fu (or Yunnan Lake).

Peh-ngai (Tali Lake)-Ch'ieng-rung (Kiang-hung)- ( \ ^.^Thibo) '

1. Luang P'hrabang — M. P'huen (C'hieug-Khwang) — Kim-duk (Hatinh).

2. Probably down the Black River to So'ntay and the coast at Chifi-dai.
Pak-chau to C'hump'hon across the Krah Pass.

Masulipatam — Gopalpur— Palur Bluff (above the mouth of the Ganjam) ; thence across to Sandoway; then by way of Cape
Negrais (mouth of Bassein River)— Takopa— mouth of Saigon River — Hang-chou. This is the sea-route mentioned by
Ptolemy himself. It may be looked upon as certain that besides the above-mentioned principal points en route, the ships in
Ptolemy's time touched also at Akadra (Koh Tron or Hatien Harbour) and at Rhabana (Canton).

Ache'h (Achin) Point, Pulo Nias (or coast of Sumatra atBarus), Si- Berut , group [or coast of Sumatra atIndra(<S!«<fa?)-pura], and
Si-Pora and Poggy Islands, Sunda Strait, terminating the journey at Sri-lihoja (Palembang). Thence the journey was perhaps
continued to China, passing the Siantan Islands (Great Anambas) en route.

Old mandarin road from Hang-chou to Nanking. N.B. — For 'south-west' read 'north-west,' owing to the coast of China
having been erroneously held by Ptolemy to turn southward instead of northward.

Note. — The stations added by the Latin translator of Ptolemy's treatise, such as Gulf of the Sinai, etc., were purposely omitted fron the present list and from the map, as there is no proof that they were known in Ptolemy's time.

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